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Visas

Overview

The University of Washington has a long tradition of hosting faculty and other academic personnel from around the world. These individuals are collectively referred to as “international scholars.” They engage in a variety of teaching and research activities but are not enrolled at the UW, nor are they enrolled students overseas. International scholars hold a UW appointment and generally require a temporary, nonimmigrant visa to enter the U.S.

By facilitating and monitoring immigration compliance within a complex and ever-changing regulatory environment, and by providing timely and accurate guidance, International Scholars Operations (ISO) enables the University of Washington to recruit and retain international scholars in support of the institution’s teaching and research mission.

The menu items listed on the right side of this page provide comprehensive information on visa sponsorship procedures and relevant nonimmigrant categories. For questions about visas, including relevant academic appointments, contact acadvisa@uw.edu.

Campus departments that sponsor international scholars for visas undertake several obligations. These include:

assigning the international scholar a UW appointment title that is appropriate for the intended activity,

documenting that the scholar is fully qualified to participate in the proposed activity,